The annual Stuff A Bus campaign is in full force at Ridgely Middle School in Timonium, with Tuesday being the day that the public can donate canned goods in time for the holidays.

So far, the school has collected more than 4,500 canned goods for their Stuff A Bus campaign.

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"The students love to get behind a charity event like this. They really like to give back, so giving back to the community is a big part of Ridgely Middle School's goal. We want to show the students that it's not just the education they're receiving -- that they're also trying to make themselves better members of the community," said teacher Ryan Brown.

The students really get into it. They create a friendly competition between homeroom classes to see who can bring in the most canned goods. The students load them onto a bus, which is driven to the Assistance Center of Towson Churches, a food bank that then distributes the food to those in need.

For students, it's much more than a class assignment.

"I learned that it's not just me who wants food. There are other kids who actually don't have food, and this is nice to give back to the people who don't have food," said seventh-grade student Rebecca Fox.

"It taught me not only to worry about myself, but worry about others, to help others in need and support them and just make them feel like they're not alone in the world," said student Camden Butler.

This is third year for the Stuff A Bus campaign, and it won't be the school's last. The food drive brings in more canned goods every year. This year, students are well on their way to their goal of 6,000 cans. They're hoping all the food will make it to families in need in time for the holidays.

"This time of year is really great. The food pantries have the largest need this time of year, given the holiday season coming up, so we decided to tie our food drive to the holiday season," Brown said.

Tuesday is the time to donate. Community members can drop of canned goods until 2 p.m. at Ridgely Middle.